Kiss - Everlark Medieval AU
by riverknowshisname
Summary: Prompt from erstwhilemagic on tumblr: Everlark medieval AU. (Puppy-dog eyes.) Please?


Jousting. Festival. This was Katniss' favorite event of the year. Being heir to the throne made her something of a treasure for all the knights. All of them gawking, all of them trying to win her favor, everyone but him. The boy with the blonde hair, and the piercingly blue eyes, who could make her heart stop on a dime. She'd tried to give him her kerchief one time before, but they had been intercepted and so she was forced to give it to someone else, but she'd never forget how the blue-eyed knight saved her from a runaway cart when she was younger.

She'd been playing in the square - even though she knew that she shouldn't - and had just stepped on step too far and was nearly trampled by the knights returning, the blue-eyed boy hastily pulled her out of the way. Checked her over once to make sure she was okay, and once he knew that she was, he left. She'd always longed to speak with him from that moment on, but her father had constant visitors and she could never find the right time to break away.

_Stop._ Her heart stopped suddenly when she met his gaze. His eyes quickly darted away, but she knew he'd been looking at her.

"Mother," she leaned back in her chair. "Who is that knight there?"

"Who?" her mother asked looking out towards the knights tents.

"The blonde one over there," Katniss nods. "The coat of arms is a badger I think."

"Oh, him," said her mother knowingly. "They all look like that. His father, his _unbearable_ mother, and his two older brothers." She points to their left, "that's them there."

"You sound familiar with the family?" Katniss inquired.

"Only from years ago," she said with a sigh. "Before your father, I'd had quite the admiration for David. That young man's father."

"Oh really?" Katniss asks, searching the crowd for the blue-eyed boys parents. "What happened?"

"It was a beautiful summer," sighed her mother before looking at her, "but that was it. A summer. It couldn't last. I was about to be married, and so I ended it. And I've almost forgiven myself for it." She makes eye contact with Katniss. "Don't get me wrong, I absolutely love your father, Henry is wonderful. A brilliant king, a wonderful husband, and a devoted father. There's just something about going against the grain, stepping out of place for a moment in time. It can be quite rewarding." Just then she nods her head. Katniss spins to see that it must be the blue-eyed boys father. He must have cared a lot about her mother as well, because he looks just as defeated as she does.

"I'm going to go see him," Katniss stands looking down at her mother.

"His name is Peeta," her mother smiles at her. "Peeta Mellark."

"Thank you mama," says Katniss as she walks down the steps. Her green dress flowing in every direction around her. She passed through the crowds easily, as no one wanted to prevent her from getting anywhere.

"Look out!" screams a voice as she's side swiped up against a building.

Katniss looks up to see the blue eyes staring back into her own grey one's. "Thank you," she says out of breath. Not from being moved so quickly, but simply because of the closeness. She has her back to the wall and he had one hand on her waist and the other above her head.

For several moments they don't move at all. Both so overwhelmed at how much wind this closeness has knocked out of them. He's thinking about that night years ago just as much as she is. Neither able to move an inch. Both wanting more. She'd never had this sort of immediate connection with anyone else in her life, and now here she was stuck against a post with the only man she's ever dared dream about and feeling completely unable to move.

It's easy, it's chemical really. At the same moment their faces meets and their arms encircle the other. Passion taking over as they share the most passionate kiss either of them had ever experienced before in their lives. She can hardly contain herself, and for the first time, he doesn't restrain himself. For a length of time - unknown to them - they stand there in the others embrace, her pinned to a wall, him pressing her there. Never before had she experienced a kiss so genuine, so wholly consuming in her life.

"To begin the day, with a word from the king!" booms a loud voice and the two break apart. Both so terribly overwhelmed and red-faced. How long had that kiss lasted? Katniss was willing to bed her life it was several minutes, because several people in the area had persisted to stare at them.

"Hello my people," begins Henry. Katniss and Peeta still find themselves wrapped around each other, utterly unable to let go of the other. "Today is my favorite day of the festival. Today we find out who shall win the hand of my daughter."

"_What?"_ Katniss hisses. Without really things about it she pulls Peeta's face to her, "if you don't win this thing, I will kill you."

With a smile Peeta nods, "As you wish Your Highness." With a slight bow he gently lets go of her hands and turns to leave.

"Wait," she says, "Peeta."

He turns to face her, "yes?"

Without a second thought she pulls her orange kerchief from her sleeve. "Wear this?"

"My favorite color," he says with a smile. "Right beside my heart. As you have always been." He kisses her once more before heading back to the tent. It's not until now that Katniss looks at her surroundings. More people had been watching the exchange than she had known.

"Anyone speaks of this and you're all dead," she says wiping the dirt from her dress. It's time to be the princess again. Time to sit on that podium. Time to pray. Time to wish that nothing bad would happen to the blue-eyed boy. Time to dream that maybe they're more to life than being royal, than doing what you're told, than being Katniss Everdeen. Maybe all she needed all along, was the right motivation...and if anything was motivation it was that kiss. She had been serious, too, if he didn't win this she would kill him.


End file.
